It's Peony Season!

After what felt like the longest winter ever, came the long wait for our peonies to bloom.  We planted our first peony plant four years ago and we have been adding an additional plant every year.

Peonies are an extremely hardy perennial that can thrive without much care, which makes them the perfect plant for us.  We cut the plants down in the fall, so it is fun to wait for them to pop up again in the Spring.  Ours are planted in a location that gets morning sun and afternoon shade.  They do not require frequent watering and too much water (i.e a location that gets daily water from automatic sprinklers) is not advised.  We visited a peony farm (called Peony's Envy) in NJ last year and I wrote a post about it here.   They have a great website with lots of information about peony care.  Just last week, our largest plant was about to burst with blooms.

This week, it is gorgeous.  I love that this plant is large enough to look great even after I cut some blooms.  Our other plants are now just green because I cut all the bloom to bring into the house to enjoy their heavenly smell.  

Our whole house is now filled with beautiful peonies.  We have some in our master bathroom.

I like them in a simple blue mason jar, too.

And in our kitchen

The biggest downside is that it is such a short season.  If only they could bloom all summer long...but maybe that is what makes them so special.